Bitcoin mining difficulty rises 5.92% to 140.58 trillion, third-largest 2026 increase

Key points

• Difficulty rose from 132.72 trillion to 140.58 trillion, the 10th increase among 21 adjustments this year.
• The hashprice reached $41 on 2 October but had fallen back to $36.75 per PH/s by 16 October.
• Early estimates point to a 14.24% rise at the next adjustment due on or around 28 October 2026.

The adjustment lifted difficulty from 132.72 trillion and continued a recovery that began over the summer.

The increase followed a Bitcoin price spike that improved miner revenue. The hashprice, an estimate of daily revenue per petahash per second, stood at $37.56 on 16 September and climbed above $41 twice in the past 30 days, including 2 October. By 16 October it had retreated to $36.75 per PH/s.

At the time of writing the hashrate was around 1024.96 EH/s with block times near 8 minutes 45 seconds.

Early estimates point to a 14.24% rise at the next adjustment due on or around 28 October 2026, though few blocks have been mined and the projection could change.

What to watch: The next difficulty adjustment is due on or around 28 October 2026, with early estimates pointing to a 14.24% rise.

Read the full story on Bitcoin.com News →